Colonial America: the forgotten Americanists?

In my teaching I am an American history generalist, meaning that I might be called on to teach everything from Columbus to the Civil War to Civil Rights, so I am used to working outside my own comfort zone. However, by research interests, I am a colonial Americanist. We are a rare breed in the UK, so here’s an organisation that can bring us together.

The British Group of Early American Historians is a friendly group who meet annually at a conference in September. If you are interested in America before independence I highly recommend visiting their website here.

There are scholars interested in the Atlantic world in general and more specifically, slavery, relations with Native Americans, cultural connections between Europe and America, the development of political identity, the economics of early America: basically, something for everyone!

The group also provides an excellent networking opportunity for postgraduate and recent postdoctoral scholars. The meetings are inclusive and welcoming and the organisers always have a postgraduate on the committee to address the needs of that part of the scholarly population.

This year’s meeting will be held at the beautiful University of Kent at Canterbury from 9-11 September and will be on the subject of ‘The Growing Daughter: Economies and Cultures in the Development of Early America’. Click here for details. Come and join us and become part of the colonial Americanist community!